The ICC has approved a budget of approximately USD 70 million to host the Champions Trophy in Pakistan early next year.
The ICC has sanctioned a budget of roughly USD 70 million for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, scheduled for early next year. An ICC insider revealed on Thursday that the budget, prepared and jointly submitted by the Pakistan Cricket Board and the ICC finance department, was reviewed and approved by the ICC’s financial and commercial committee, led by BCCI secretary Jay Shah. “The estimated budget is around USD 70 million, with only USD 4.5 million set aside for additional expenses,” the source stated.
The approval of this budget has sparked speculation that the additional funds might be reserved in case India opts out of sending its team to Pakistan, necessitating matches to be played at alternative venues.
The source indicated that the USD 4.5 million allocation for additional expenses is relatively small compared to the overall budget and might not suffice to cover the costs of relocating matches from Pakistan.
Jay Shah, who also chairs the Asian Cricket Council, oversaw the recent decision to award the T20 format Asia Cup in 2025 to India and the 50-over format Asia Cup in 2027 to Bangladesh.
According to the source, the tentative format for next year’s Asia Cup suggests that India and Pakistan will be in the same group and could face each other again in the tournament’s super four stage.
“There is also the potential for a third match if both teams reach the final,” the source added.
Despite the confusion, late venue changes, and additional expenses during the 2023 Asia Cup held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the ACC still managed to generate profits, largely due to the India-Pakistan matches.
“The profits were driven by the India-Pakistan games,” the source concluded.
